Wisdom came as God's gift, but sacred love was forged through passion's fire

Standing in the shadow of his famous father, young King Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, longing for a love that is true and pure - a love that can be his cornerstone.

A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah has known since she first laid eyes on Solomon that it was her destiny to become his bride. When her father secures a promise from Solomon to marry Arielah as a treaty bride to help unite the kingdom, it seems her dreams will come true.

But how can this simple shepherdess live as part of Solomon's harem? Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself completely to just one woman? Or will he let duty, deception, and the daily routine divide his heart?

Mesu Andrews expertly weaves the words of the Song of Solomon into this touching story of the power of love from a master storyteller.

Thoughts:

Mesu Andrews has the uncanny ability to see behind the scenes of the most treasured Bible stories. In her latest book, Love's Sacred Song she gives readers insight into the life of Solomon, said to be the wisest man in the Bible. Andrews brings to life characters that the Bible only mentions, giving them lives and stories of their own and bringing the reader to a new understanding and a deeper faith in God.

The Song of Solomon has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible, for several reasons. The love that Solomon expresses in this book of the Bible is deep and strong. He loved this woman dearly and his heartfelt words are beautiful and inspiring to read. I've always believed that, that kind of love is comes few and far between. Mesu Andrews gives Solomon's words of love an object, a personality, a name. It's rare that an author can so truly capture the essence of another person's words and feelings like Andrews does in this book. It was compelling and felt real and authentic.

Andrews seems to have a real knack for taking Bible stories and expanding on them to create a feeling of deeper understanding in the reader. In reading the Bible it is often hard to give the people it talks about a real face because most of the scripture doesn't discuss their feelings, just their actions. I think where Mesu Andrews excels is in giving her characters real emotions that those in the Bible stories were probably feeling. Her characters are not perfect but they are redeemable. They are fallible just as any other person, but they understand God's purpose in their lives and their purpose on this earth.

It is easy to see that Andrews has put in a remarkable amount of time in study of not only the Bible, but of other historical texts from the period. Her descriptions of the towns, the customs and behavior of the people of the day is spot on. She allows the reader to use all of their senses as she tells about the King's harems and the daily life in his court. So much so, that the reader will taste the dust from the streets, and hear the wheels of the carts and wagons. Andrews is also adept at allowing the reader to feel the emotions of the characters. This book will make you laugh and cry, as well as, feel anger and love.

Arielah is a woman whose love of Solomon foreshadowed the love Christ for us. It was uncompromising. It was merciful, gentle yet full of strength. She endured a lot of things that many of us today would never have stood for because she had faith and she knew Solomon was the man of her heart and her destiny. I thought Andrews did a fantastic job of giving the Shulamite woman a voice. Solomon describes his great love for her in The Song of Solomon, and Andrews pays homage to that love in her own book. Certainly not a book any fan of Christian and Inspirational fiction would want to miss.

I really liked this one. There was just something about it that resonated with me. For one thing, I love a good love story and this is a good one in every sense of the word. The writing is meticulous, but smooth and elegant almost. The characters are vividly drawn and believable. The story in and of itself is timeless and inspiring. That's the kind of love many of us only dream of having. I know I do. I recommend this one to Christian fiction readers as well as mainstream romance readers. The Biblical aspects are present, but not overpowering. In the end this is a love story, and a very good one.

Love's Sacred Song is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes and is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

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